Bobby Blake: A Prodigal Son Part II

MOC: Do you think the success you have achieved has to do with the professionalism you treated the business?  It was a business. You weren't there for an adventure.

BB: I learned so much from Ed James. He was a beautiful man. Heterosexual.  Married with children.  And I learned so much from him. He always told me when others were doing their roles, “Bobby, someday you'll be king.” I was dealing with The Industry from a business perspective. I learned how to work from the inside with him. I never had the problems that so many others in The Industry had. I never got bad checks. I was never disrespected. You always knew how I felt. You knew what you were dealing with from day one.

MOC: I want to talk now about some of the more controversial statements you make in your book. You describe Tyson Cane on page 146 of your book as, "The bitch from Hell." Would you care to elaborate?

BB: I told Tyson, and we are friends today, you have what it takes but you're not taking what have to get there. Tyson was one who wanted to be the center of attention. And he allowed producers and directors to put makeup on his face. And I told him, "You're a brother. You don't need all that stuff on your face.” And I remember doing this movie, "In the Mix." And he acted like it was one of the last pictures on Planet Earth; until we just had to put him in his place. Now, he thought he was an answer for a dying world. He thought he was THE major star. That no one else mattered. But these folks need to understand that you have to deal with these things from a business perspective. Now, I don't have anything against these people because the end result does not affect Bobby Blake. It affects them as individuals.

MOC: I want to quote you on something else from the book and then I'm going to read a response to it. "Nowadays, a lot of these companies get these guys off the street, many of them desperate for an early payday, clean them up, use them for a shoot, give them a hundred dollars and then throw them back. Where you have Internet based setups like Cocoboys.com and Cocodrom.com featuring very young performers who the company has no interest in promoting or building up into stars or even names. They're just a parade of cute, pliable youngsters in need of a quick buck who think spending a couple of weeks in the dorm will be a quick way of making some money all the while getting drawn into unsafe sex practices by an unscrupulous management." Well, I asked Phil Bleicher, the owner of Flavaworks,  about that and this was his response: "The CocoDorm models practice Safe Sex. It's funny that someone who has never been or participated in the dorm life could say such things.” What's your reaction?

BB: Let me tell you something. Ask him what's happened in Miami, Florida. How the police raided that facility. I get a lot of models who come to me and tell me about the practices of not only that company but other companies. And he's right. I've never done a movie for them. I've never participated in what I call a "House Company." I work for major companies. Catalina. Marina Pacific. I was the first one to do a movie for Sin City. I lived in Los Angeles. I worked for these companies. I didn't work for third and fourth hand producers - those who call themselves producers. So, no, I never worked for them. They don't even have what it takes to get me to work for them. I don't think they even have enough money for what it would take for me to work for them. And the real issue here is that these young people have come to me with a concern. One young man even said to me that they had gotten him drunk and a movie was filmed without his consent. Now remember whether that's true or not, I don't know. But that's what was said to me. But what I do know is a lot of these models are being paid 100 dollars, 150 dollars, maybe even 250 dollars and they (the producers) are making all this money. And a lot of these models are on drugs, they're doing a whole lot of illegal things. In the Gay Community they call it "stunting" - (taking on someone else's identity.) So, I have a concern that an elder who has been in The Industry takes advantage of these kids. To them I say: Think about the future. Think about money still coming in after you've left. That's the mindset I have. And that's the reason today I have been so successful.

MOC: Okay, now I want to quote you on one of today's most popular gay porn stars, Tiger Tyson. You wrote: "When I saw Tiger Tyson and the other guys in person, the first thing that struck me was that they were all small. Anyway, Tiger Tyson and the rest of them looked rough with bad skin. And then I looked down and saw that they were dancing in dirty tennis shoes. Their choreography was nothing and they just came across to me and the crowd as tacky-looking and unprofessional." Still feel that way?

BB: Let me say this: They were doing Tiger Tyson the same way - putting makeup on him - so he looked good on the box cover. I'm not saying he's a bad looking brother. But we happened to go to Detroit one night for Pride and he was dancing and me and my ex-lover wanted to come out and see them. We wanted to meet them. But when we got there even my ex was amazed. They had tennis shoes on, not professional at all. The makeup wasn't on so he didn't look like how he did on the movie box. That's why people say to me, "Bobby you look better in person than you do from you box covers." People tell me that everywhere I go. Because, you know what? I’m not going to allow people to put makeup on me. That's not me.

MOC: Okay, now I want to talk with you about an ad I saw from Sean Cody, who I'm sure you're familiar with, kind of The Father of the "straight" boy niche. He posted an ad for models on Craigslist that said you MUST be white. How do you react to something like that?

BB: He said what?

MOC: He said you must be "White." In other words, if you want to work and be paid by Sean Cody you must be white.

BB: Let me tell you something. That doesn't bother me. You know what would bother me if he had that philosophy and didn't tell the general public but as an African-American you went there, and you go through the interview process, knowing that they are going to reject you. But if I know what you're expecting beforehand, well, I respect him for being honest and upfront. Now, coming from a racial perspective, well, there are some companies that have a different clientele that like inter-racial movies..Maybe his clientele doesn't like interracial movies. Maybe his clientele only likes Caucasian-only movies. I don't know what his clientele is. But I respect him for being honest and upfront.

MOC: Well, it's two sides of the same coin. What you see as "honest and upfront," I tend to see as "segregationist" and, frankly, racist.

 

BB: It could be but understand what he's saying. It's his clientele. Each company has their own audience. Take Edward James. He does a lot of African-American movies because that's what his clientele wants. Does that make him a racist? It's a business perspective, nothing more, nothing less. But you just can't stop with him. There's racism in this industry from the awards show down.

MOC: I can't agree with you more. And I have devoted the last four years of my life promoting other "norms" of beauty. But what offends me about Sean Cody is NOT that he's trying to make a buck, he's hustling. I respect that. But that he promotes his site as "All-American." In other words, if you're not white, you're not "All American." How are minorities going to break through this shibboleth that in order to be "All American" you have to be white?

BB: Well, I don't know much about this guy. As a matter of fact, this is the first time my hearing his name. Now, based on what you're telling me, there's a lot of ignorance on his behalf. If I had the chance to talk with him there'd be a couple of questions I would like to ask...If he was in the hospital and needed a blood transfusion, and maybe his blood type was 'O,' and, you know there would be black men there, and they were the only ones who had the 'O' type, would he refuse that? Sometimes we have to go through things to humble us and remove our foolishness. Do you get what I'm saying?

MOC: Yes, and I think many of my readers are going to take the position that it's supremely ironic that I've taken the position I have and you have taken the position you have.

BB: I hear you but remember I gave you my perspective from a business point of view. But if there's any other perspective besides a business perspective then there's a problem there.

MOC: Okay, I want to get to your politics at the end of your book. And you bring up the issue of Gay Marriage. And this is what you wrote: "I don't like Gay Marriage being pushed as a political agenda. It's extremely unpopular among the wider African community. As an African-American, I don't like be pressured to sign up to any agenda by a Gay Rights Movement that has been predominantly white and has historically shown next to no interest in the rights of black gay men and women. And for myself, I feel there are more important issues that need sorting out first: the seemingly deep-rooted inability of gay men, particularly black gay men to commit to each other."

MOC: You know, that question comes to me everywhere I go. And I'm grateful for an opportunity to address the question with you. And let me say this, when I speak to you about this, I speak from my heart. Down here in the South and especially on the East Coast where I've had the opportunity to do things like book parties, we've addressed these questions. And I gave them my beliefs and the response was: "You know what, Bobby, I believe the same way you believe." So many of them… Emails from across the country… from all over the world that agree with me. Now, Gay Marriage is basically an agenda from the white, gay community. That's fine. I personally don't believe in Gay Marriage. But because you believe in Gay Marriage does not mean I will not come to your wedding or be your friend. It just means we have a different belief when it comes to our religion.. But I think we're so caught up in what the heterosexual community is doing and that's alarming. Look at their divorce rate. For me, I think this is just one more thing that is going to cripple the Gay Community. You can stand before the Judge and the Preacher and declare whatever you want to verbally but if it's not in the heart, that ring is tarnished. Because that ring is supposed to be a symbol of what is in the heart. So when you get done with all your fine wining and dining and you're standing before the Judge or the Preacher, if it's not in the heart, all of those things are in vain.

MOC: Bobby, I want to thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with me and my readers. It was an honor

BB: Well, I appreciate the opportunity and I pray to God that something was said that will inspire your readers as they journey through this life.

Comments

[Mocha Delight]

I have personally seen the collection of videos that Sean Cody has and i think you are correct. I also agree with this blog just because you aren't a white Caucasian male does not mean you aren't beautiful. Shame on you Sean Cody

[DirtyBoy]

Well if anyone fits the criteria for Sean Cody and is black you are welcome to apply at http://dirtyboyvideo.com/model/index.html